The world isn't going mobile, it is already gone. Millineals are leading the mobile charge, with 78% having a mobile device. Here are do's and dont's for optimizing emails for mobile.

1. How to Optimize (and Automate!)
Your Campaigns for Mobile
Brian Rants, Director of Marketing, DMX
Dave Walters, Product Evangelist, Silverpop
@BrianRants
@_DaveWalters

2. The world isn’t GOING mobile.
It’s already gone.

3. Leading the revolution?
Students.

4. 78% have mobile device access.
Noel-Levitz 2013 E-Expectations Report

5. 73% would download your app.
Noel-Levitz 2013 E-Expectations Report

6. 65% are up for a text from you.
Noel-Levitz 2013 E-Expectations Report

7. “My iPhone is…part of my body.”
“We depend more on our phones and texts
than we do on human communication.”
Alexis, freshman at NYU

8. Other channels still matter…
But increasingly, they
matter in proportion
to how effectively
they support and
drive engagement
back to their
preferred device.

9. Getting to “the Point”
How we reworked West Point’s email template to make
it responsive to mobile devices
Brian Rants
@BrianRants

10. 1st Generation Email
Viewed on iPad
• First generation email:
designed for desktop
• This two column layout
only works on screens
this size or larger
View this email online

11. 1st Generation Email
Viewed on iPhone5
• Two column layout is
difficult to read, links
are hard to click. Zoom
is required to read this
message.

12. 1st Generation Email
Viewed on Android OS
• Only a portion of the
email is viewable on this
platform. User must
scroll to the right to see
the second column

13. 1st Generation Email
Viewed in Gmail App
• Gmail tries to squeeze
both columns into the
viewport
• The result is jarring, the
message is difficult to
comprehend

14. 2nd Generation Email
Viewed on iPhone5
• Large CTA buttons at
the top and bottom of
the message
• Single column layout is
easier to read and
doesn’t require zooming

15. 2nd Generation Email
Viewed in Android OS
• Android breaks the
layout and doesn’t
scale the content like it
is supposed to
• User is forced to scroll
sideways to read the
entire CTA

16. 2nd Generation Email
Viewed in Gmail App
• Gmail scales the
content as intended and
the text is very
readable.

17. 3rd Generation email
Viewed in Gmail/Safari
• Gmail scales the
content as intended and
the text is very readable
View this email online

18. Our email design progression
1st Gen –
Desktop
• iPhone: shrinks
email too small
• Android: no
shrinking, but
requires scrolling
• Gmail app: two
columns smashed
2nd Gen –
Mobile-friendly
• Inspired by
Silverpop multi-
screen webinar
• “The finger is the
new mouse”
• Touch as primary
behavior
3rd Gen –
Responsive
• Truly responsive
email; content
“stacks” on
smaller screens
• Larger buttons

19. Do’s and don’ts
You have to start somewhere. So start here.
Dave Walters
@_DaveWalters

20. DO write in stages
No matter the screen
size…
Subscribers view emails
in stages, making
choices as they go.
Landing Page/Site
Swipe/Click/Tap
Preview/Open
Preheader
Subject Line
From Name

21. From Name
~25 characters
Subject Line
~35 characters
Preheader
~85 characters
Stages: From and Subject Matter More than Ever

22. Stages: Preheaders Are Tertiary Inbox Content

23. Stages: Preheaders Are Tertiary Inbox Content

24. DON’T use…
§ Interstitial
boxes
§ Impossible
form fields

25. Do use…
§ Easy to
navigate
websites
§ Responsive,
“finger-friendly”
landing pages
and forms

26. DO: Support the subject line with preheader
§ Call-to-action
§ Special offer
§ Reminder
§ Clickable/measurable
Make it creative, useful,
helpful…anything but:
“Trouble viewing this…?”

27. DO: Go big with buttons & text
§ Body copy: 14px+
§ Headlines: 22px+
§ Buttons: 44px by 44px

28. Go big: 13px+ sizing
Beware the nav bar scaling!

30. DO: Look left
§ Tappable touch targets
§ Bulletproof buttons that
don’t rely on an image
(use html/css)
§ Left-hand side

31. Summing up mobile design:
Scannable
Singular calls to action
Larger fonts
Single columns
Bullet-proof / large CTA buttons
Design for touch …

32. Automating the entire process
Once your email is mobile, how do you market to
thousands of students?
Dave Walters
@_DaveWalters

33. So
Now
What?

34. Behavioral Marketing Automation
Real-time, cross-channel, insanely relevant campaigns to
one person at a time automatically driven by analytics of
their actions, preferences and profiles.

35. Sandra’s
Ac+ons…
• Visited website
• Visited blog
• Clicked to Social Page"
(Facebook, Twitter)
• Visited Community
• Downloaded Brochure
• Watched “7 Reasons” Video
• Submitted Visit Request Form
• Call Center Conversation
Generating a Behavioral Profile

36. Behavioral Automation Outputs
• Triggered Emails
• Multi-Step Programs
• Score and Rank
• Direct Mail
• Web Content
• Alerts
- Call Center
- CRM System
- Admissions Rep

37. Campaign
Program
B
Campaign
Program
A
Any action from any customer of any
Silverpop client can be acted on in
less than one minute across billions of
multi-tenant customer records.
260% lift in product sales over non
automated emails
– Empowering Parents
Only 4% of emails have been
automated thus far yet they drive 40%
of email revenue "
– S&S Worldwide
Automated Interactions Work

38. $45,600
$222,970
$228,754
$401,942
$5,155
$76,668
$83,419
$162,631
$0
$100,000
$200,000
$300,000
$400,000
$500,000
Broadcast Lifecycle Targeted Clickstream
Monthly
revenue Monthly
net
profit
9x
Note:
Metrics
and
salary
costs
based
on
JupiterResearch
execu+ve
survey.
Broadcast
assumes
$3
CPM,
and
all
others
assume
$4.5
CPM.
All
assume
$89
AOV,
50
percent
product
margin,
and
2.8
million
pieces
of
mail
per
month.
Clickstream Email Rocks!

39. Their Behaviors = Your Business Rules

41. And finally: Content
Mobile-first design creates simplicity.
Mobile-first copywriting creates clarity.
Brian Rants
@brianrants

42. Make it personal
§ What is millennials’
biggest irritation
regarding the email
marketing messages they
receive on their mobile
devices?
§ One in four pointed to
irrelevant or non-
personalized content
Irritating irrelevance
At 25%, top irritation is
non-personalized content
Campaigner

43. Make it concise
§ Write your copy, then cut
it in half
§ …and in half once again
§ Mission-driven millenials:
tell a story through
videos, images, stories
Pay attention
Millennials switch
media 27x an hour.
YPulse

44. Make it clear
You are limited by:
§ Screen space
§ Viewers’ attention spans
So don’t ask the email to do
multiple things. One clear
call to action.
Practical tip
Ask an outsider to read
your email & tell you
“what the point” is.

45. Make it digital (and mobile friendly!)
§ While other generations
stagnate, millennial use
of internet grew 25%
WSL/Strategic Retail
§ Millennials spend 25
hours a week online,
primarily through mobile
ComScore
16%
67%
18%
Time online by platform
Desktop
only
Desktop
+ Mobile
Mobile
only

46. Need help?
Videoconference: I can present this to your marketing
team to sow the seeds of “mobile-first” thinking
Brian Rants brian.rants@dmxengage.com